Article Sphere Logo

Pedestrians and Dangers from Hybrid Vehicles

By Expert Author: Valerie Nay | View Article Summary
Word Count: 538 words | Views: 471 view(s)
Valerie Nay

The other day, I put a scare into both myself and a driver when I almost stepped out in front of her hybrid car. She was shaken up and looked stunned that an adult would be so careless. I was just embarrassed.

But as I told a friend about it the next day, I found that it's more common than I thought. He had done the same thing a few weeks earlier. Then, someone else told me about a woman who was putting groceries in the trunk of her car and didn't even realize that a hybrid vehicle nearly backed into her!

Hybrid cars are so popular that auto manufacturers are having a hard time keeping up with the demand. The ones already on the market include Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Toyota Highlander, Lexus, Honda Civic, Honda Accord and the Ford Escape.

They use both gas and batteries to operate. At higher speeds, they run on gasoline just like any other car. However, at lower speeds (such as less than 20 mph), hybrids are powered by batteries. At the slower speeds, these battery-powered cars have virtually no noise compared to their motorized counterparts that have a running engine.

As great as they are for the environment, the problem is, you can't always hear them coming!

Pedestrian groups say the lack of noise poses a new hazard to people,especially those who are blind or don't hear very well. While these groups are still in favor of the benefits that hybrid cars offer - a cleaner, greener environment and less noise pollution - they say these new safety concerns need to be addressed and are working with manufacturers to come up with solutions.

Meanwhile, it's up to us.Both drivers of hybrid cars and pedestrians need to be reminded that things are a little different than they used to be.

* Whether you are driving or walking - Be aware of what's going on around you and never make someone else responsible for your safety!

* Remember and practice proper safety measures when crossing the street. Use crosswalks, look both ways, and don't walk out from between cars.

* Be extra alert if you are talking on your cell phone or having a heated conversation.

* Be clearly visible to the driver. Make sure they see you. Crossing the street from between two parked cars makes it difficult and is extra risky. That goes double if it's after dark.

* Look for signals on automobiles that can tell you they are in operation. Look for reverse lights. Look for headlights. Cars manufactured within the last few years come with daytime running lights. If the lights are on, that can be a signal that the driver is getting ready to pull out.

* Always make sure you have emergency contact information with you, whether you're driving or walking.

Hybrid cars are here to stay and lots of us like that idea, but everyone needs to take extra precautions to safeguard themselves as pedestrians. If you driv one yourself, just remember pedestrians can't necessarily hear you coming, so be extra alert when they are present.
About the Author/Author Bio

Valerie Nay is the founder of Emergency Contacts and writes a free monthly newsletter full of valuable information to help you and your family stay safe.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Pedestrians-and-Dangers-from-Hybrid-Vehicles/116001

Article Submitted: 2007-12-06 | This Article has been viewed 471 times.

Comments on this Article


More "Automotives" Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Automotives" article category.

People interested in the above article "Pedestrians and Dangers from Hybrid Vehicles" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
The Graco SnugRide with EPS infant car seat is a highly popular and one of the top rated infant car seats. It provides first rate transportation safety for your baby, plus convenient mobility options for you. Top rated for safety and ease of use by leading consumer magazines, it's no wonder that the SnugRide is America's favorite infant car seat. We love the Graco Snugride Car Seat.
If thinking of the worst investment you can make during your life, buying a car will definitely somewhere on top of that list. When taking the actual return from such an investment, you don’t have to be an economist to understand that it’s a total loss. However, people are still buying cars no matter how un-advantageous it might be dollar-wise, simply because it’s a necessity for the modern lifestyle. And keeping your ride on the wheels is very important because it will not only save you from stress of dealing with a broken car in the middle of the road but will also help you save some money too.
Gas prices have been growing increasingly higher for the past several years. Everybody wants to save money on gas especially now that the price has been rapidly increasing. One way to save gas is to increase gas mileage. Here are some tips on improving gas mileage. These tips will not only save on gas but will enable the car to last for a longer time...
Life is too fast these days with no time to look back and relax a while. Everyone is on the run in acquiring the luxury and riches to eke life conveniently in old age. But, in the constant race of gathering life’s comfort one tends to forget about the body health. Almost whole of our day is spent sitting on office chair with back bent over desktop system. This result into chronic back aches, cervical, neck pain, and other body aches. Back support is available to relax down your arched back a while and work comfortably whole day long.
When you look at auto sound systems it is important to pay close attention to the speakers on the system you are considering. You will find that there are all kinds of components, pieces, and parts that go along with a proper sound system in the world of today's music systems. You need to pay special attention to every single detail along the way of choosing the system that will meet your needs, your budget, and your lifestyle with the most bells and whistles to spare.
One of the biggest decisions that people need to make when deciding on an auto sound system is the decision of whether or not have the system professionally installed. On the one hand, it will add a pretty hefty fee to the bottom line but you just might find that the fee is well worth the expense you'd have to pay to fix any mistakes you might make along the way.
If you are one of the many people around the world who happens to be into cars and the new pastime called 'modding' I'm sure you have considered the implications of modding your auto sound system. For many the idea of modifying an automobile is very exciting. It's a way to take the standard canvas purchased from the dealer and turn it into a work of art that you drive to work and play each and every day. The same theory holds for your sound system as well. You can take the basic pieces and parts and turn them into something so much more than they were to begin with.
 
Article Directory Home All Categories Automotives
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.
French Spanish Bulgarian Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croation Czech Danish Dutch Finnish German Greek Italian Japanese Korean Norwegian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Swedish Arabic Hebrew Hungarian Thai Turkish English US